Struggling to uninstall the YouTube app on your Android phone? Since YouTube comes preinstalled as a system app on most devices, it can’t be fully uninstalled without rooting your device. However, there are workarounds like disabling the app, uninstalling updates, or using parental controls to restrict access. Let’s explore the step-by-step process.
In fact, Every month, around 1% of YouTube users think about uninstalling the YouTube app from their devices.
In this article, I will teach you How to delete and Uninstall YouTube from Android. YouTube is a preinstalled app that came directly from companies.
Many people like you and me want to remove the YouTube app from their phones because they don’t like it or don’t want it.
How to Uninstall YouTube From Any Smartphone
So here is the tutorial on removing the YouTube app from Android and deleting it so you can’t use it.
Generally, YouTube can only be uninstalled once you have rooted your device. Alternatively, if you want to avoid using the YouTube app or do not want it on your phone, there’s a way you can try that I have shown you in this tutorial.
Step 1: Open the Mobile Settings
The first step to do it is to open the device settings on your phone.
Step 2: Select Apps
In the second step, select apps from all the given menus.
Step 3: Tap on YouTube
Now, find YouTube from all the applications shown in the menu.
Step 4: Clear Cache, Data, and Force Stop YouTube
Clearing cache and data removes temporary files and user information. Force-stopping prevents the app from running in the background.
Here, this is not the last step, you have to force stop the app and clear all data of the YouTube app.
Step 5: Disable YouTube and Uninstall Updates
Disabling the app will hide it from your app drawer and prevent it from running. Uninstalling updates removes the latest version, reverting the app to its factory state.
After all, when you disable the app and clear the YouTube app cache, it automatically uninstalls the YouTube app from your phone. This method can be followed on most Android devices. I’m using a Samsung M series phone to do it.
What Happens When You Disable the YouTube App?
- Disabling YouTube hides it from the app drawer and prevents it from consuming resources. However, the app remains on your device and can be re-enabled anytime.
How to Remove Preinstalled YouTube App Without Root
“For advanced users, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands allow you to disable system apps without rooting your phone:
- Install ADB on your PC.
- Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on your phone.
- Connect your phone to your PC and enter the following command
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube- This command removes YouTube for the current user but doesn’t delete the app permanently.
Ultimate Table: Right and Wrong Ways to Disable or Remove YouTube on Android
| Cause or Situation | Right Fix (✅) | Wrong Fix (❌) |
|---|---|---|
| Preinstalled YouTube App (Bloatware) | ✅ Disable the app via Settings > Apps > YouTube > Disable. | ❌ Attempting to uninstall the app directly through the app drawer, which is not supported. |
| Uninstalling YouTube Updates | ✅ Go to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Uninstall Updates to revert to the factory version. | ❌ Ignoring the need to uninstall updates before disabling the app. |
| Cannot Disable YouTube (Button Greyed Out) | ✅ Force-stop the app and clear its cache and data to enable the “Disable” button. | ❌ Restarting the phone repeatedly without addressing the cache or permissions. |
| Too Much Screen Time on YouTube | ✅ Use parental control apps like Digital Wellbeing or Google Family Link to limit usage. | ❌ Deleting the app without setting restrictions, leading to kids accessing YouTube on browsers. |
| Want to Hide YouTube Without Disabling | ✅ Use apps like App Hider or Nova Launcher to hide YouTube from the app drawer. | ❌ Manually renaming or moving system files, which can cause system instability. |
| Advanced Removal (No Root) | ✅ Use ADB commands to disable YouTube: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube. | ❌ Flashing custom ROMs without proper knowledge, risking bricking your device. |
| Parental Control for YouTube on Kids’ Devices | ✅ Set up YouTube Kids or restrict access using the device’s native parental controls. | ❌ Giving unrestricted access to browsers, which bypasses app restrictions. |
| YouTube App Running in Background | ✅ Force-stop the app and revoke permissions for notifications and background data usage. | ❌ Simply clearing the app from recent apps, which doesn’t stop background processes. |
| Limited Storage Space (Need to Free Up Space) | ✅ Disable YouTube to stop it from consuming resources and cache storage. | ❌ Attempting to delete system files related to YouTube without root access, risking system errors. |
| Country-Specific YouTube Restrictions | ✅ Use a VPN to access YouTube content or block YouTube regionally via parental controls. | ❌ Installing unverified third-party apps claiming to bypass restrictions, risking malware infections. |
| Battery Drain by YouTube App | ✅ Disable YouTube’s background activity via Settings > Apps > YouTube > Battery > Restrict Activity. | ❌ Assuming battery optimization tools automatically handle preinstalled apps. |
| Can’t Remove YouTube Notifications | ✅ Turn off notifications in Settings > Apps > YouTube > Notifications. | ❌ Disabling the app entirely just to stop notifications without exploring notification settings. |
| Want to Completely Remove YouTube | ✅ Root your phone only if you’re confident about the process and its risks. | ❌ Rooting your phone without backing up data, risking data loss or bricking. |
| App Permissions Blocking Disable Option | ✅ Grant necessary permissions temporarily to access the disable option in Settings > Apps > YouTube. | ❌ Ignoring permission settings and assuming the option to disable is permanently unavailable. |
| Excessive Ads on YouTube | ✅ Use YouTube Premium or third-party browsers with ad-blocking capabilities. | ❌ Downloading modded YouTube APKs, which may expose your device to security risks. |
| Privacy Concerns (Tracking by YouTube) | ✅ Revoke permissions for location, microphone, and camera in Settings > Apps > YouTube > Permissions. | ❌ Disabling the app without addressing permission settings, which may leave residual tracking active. |
Beyond Common Sense Fixes and Unique Insights
- ADB Commands for Advanced Users:
- Use
adb shellto temporarily remove preinstalled apps like YouTube without rooting, ensuring system integrity. - Command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube.
- Use
- Disabling YouTube Without Root:
- Use the built-in “Disable” function and uninstall updates to revert YouTube to its factory version, freeing up storage.
- Parental Control Workarounds:
- Use apps like YouTube Kids or configure Digital Wellbeing to limit YouTube usage without removing the app entirely.
- Managing Greyed-Out Disable Options:
- Clearing cache, data, and force-stopping the app can re-enable the disable button for YouTube on devices where it’s restricted.
- Battery and Storage Optimization:
- Restrict YouTube’s background data and activity in battery settings to reduce its impact without needing to disable it.
Where to Place the Table
- After the Causes Section:
- Use the table to summarize why YouTube cannot be fully uninstalled and provide actionable alternatives.
- Before the Solutions Section:
- Position it as a bridge between identifying the problem and explaining detailed fixes.
Uninstalling or Disabling the YouTube App on Your Mobile Device
If you cannot uninstall the YouTube app from your mobile device, you can still disable it to prevent it from running. Here’s how:
- Open the settings on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the “App settings” or “Apps” section.
- Locate the YouTube app from the list of installed applications.
- Tap on the YouTube app to open its settings.
- Look for the option to disable the app and select it.
- A confirmation message will appear; choose to confirm the disabling of the app.
- The YouTube app will now be disabled and no longer accessible or active on your device.
Video Tutorial
Yes, you can easily uninstall the YouTube app practically. However, Android users can’t directly delete the app or uninstall it. On the other hand, android users can delete the YouTube app, so it won’t work and will not be shown in the app drawer.
Why Can’t You Fully Uninstall YouTube?
YouTube is classified as a ‘system app’ on Android devices, meaning it’s part of the operating system. Removing it requires root access, which voids your warranty and may cause system instability.s. Moreover, its G-Apps are installed on Android. However, you can disable the app and uninstall the YouTube app’s update. That could be technically uninstalling the YouTube app.
Ans: Here’s a way to remove the YouTube app without root. You can quickly delete it by clearing caching & all data, then disable the app to delete.
Ans: If the YouTube app cannot be deleted, then the reason is YouTube is preinstalled on most devices which is known as a bloatware application. If you can’t delete the YouTube app from Android, this is because it’s preinstalled & cannot be uninstalled.
Ans: Yes, you can delete YouTube from Android tablets; however, its bloatware cannot be uninstalled.
Additional Steps to Uninstall YouTube App from Android
To uninstall or disable the YouTube app altogether. Sometimes you will get only the option to force stop the YouTube APK but not to disable it if the button is not working. To make it work, disable the YouTube app and uninstall it.
You have to uninstall the recent updates of the YouTube app to disable and remove the YouTube app from your phone.
If you have reasons like you are using too much or your kids are using too much, I recommend you to use parental control apps like Digital Wellbeing on many parental control apps out there in the market. You can read our article on the best parental control apps.
To install YouTube on your device, to do so, Get into app settings > Disable the app & Moreover, uninstall the updates. YouTube is preinstalled on most phones, and it can’t be uninstalled. It can only be disabled so that its icon won’t show.
Technically, it’s possible to uninstall the YouTube app, but the catch is that it won’t be permanently uninstalled. It can only be disabled and force-stopped. So, the YouTube icon won’t show. However, you can re-enable the app from settings.
Here’s Why not uninstall YouTube
Many people and some parents want to uninstall this app because maybe the children are using this too much and spending more time on the screen.
To all those people and parents, I request you to use parental control apps. In the era of technology, kids live in the tech-era kids usually discuss YouTube, games, and memes.
Even my cousin’s sisters, who are in 5th and 10th standard, always discuss YouTuber life.
For example, My Sister: See how this YouTuber makes funny and entertaining content and talks about great educational creators like Aman dhattarwal, Sandeep Maheshwari, Civil Beings, etc.
Conclusion
While YouTube can’t be fully uninstalled on most Android devices, disabling it or uninstalling updates are practical workarounds. Whether you’re looking to save storage space, control usage, or simply hide the app, these steps ensure you can manage YouTube on your terms. Have you tried any of these methods? Let us know in the comments!. Uninstall the YouTube app if you want. I can give you another perspective from my point of view. Let me know your point of view on that topic in the comments. I would love to discuss these kinds of things.
That’s it for today. I showed you how to uninstall a YouTube app and delete a YouTube app on Android or any smartphone running on the Android operating system.
